One type of device presently in use for the production of heat by means of the combustion of fuel oil, diafanous petroleum and diesel fuel comprises an apparatus in the form of a horn, which receives the liquid fuel (diafanous petroleum, diesel or fuel oil) into whch, upon entering, a current of air is simultaneously injected driven by a ventilator. This current of air is mixed with the fuel during the movement of rotation produced by the spiral blades with which the apparatus is equipped for this purpose. The result is a mixture of air-petroleum, that is combustible air, which produces a defective combustion with a reddish flame, substantially different from that which is obtained with butane, propane or natural gas. As a consequence, this system is only applicable for heat production in places where a deficient combustion with residues and a petroleum odor are acceptable.
In another prior art system, the petroleum is heated until it is transformed into vapor and is then mixed with the volumes of air necessary for combustion, for which an initial source of heat is required in order to convert the liquid petroleum to vapor and simultaneously heat the volumes of air necessary for combustion, which in the case of diafanous petroleum consist of 9,000 volumes of air for every volume of liquid petroleum. Once this mixture has been achieved, good combustion is obtained, comparable in clarity and heat to that of butane, propane or natural gas, but with the serious disadvantage that this vapor mixture of hot air-petroleum is unstable and must be burned immediately, since if transportation of the mixture by means of pipes is attempted, it loses temperature and the petroleum condenses, if not totally, at least partially, thus spoiling the combustion. Another inconvenience is that in order for this process to function, there is a delay of several minutes until the apparatus is hot and the vaporization of the petroleum begins.
Of all the domestic burners, the simplest is the vaprorizing type known as "blue flame natural draft". It is constructed of a series of two or more concentric cylinders, perforated and arranged in order to receive the petroleum through gravity. In the base it has a fuse placed between the cylinders, which is where the evaporation initiates. When the vapor rises between the cylinders, the air is pulled through the perforations and mixes with the petroleum vapor. The flame starts at the base, but as the burner begins to heat up, the vapor rises with greater speed and the flame takes on a blue color. This system requires several minutes of heating in order to operate and even when working at maximum efficiency, its heating capacity is slight and its handling clumsy, for which reasons its applications are very limited.